THE HAPPINESS OF HOLINESS

There is pleasure in sin, or else we would not pursue it.  But, it is like the pleasure a fish enjoys when it tastes the bait—the pleasure quickly turns to pain when the hook is set. On the other hand, true and enduring happiness is found on the highway of holiness. The best is deferred until heaven, yet what is the brief sacrifice we may make to do right in this life compared to the eternal bliss of glory?  Still, there are blessings now, as well.  Today, we will focus on a few terms in Proverbs 28 which are descriptive of the holy.

1.  RIGHTEOUS. “The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.”  (v.1). Being in a right standing with God enables us to stand without fear.

2.   LAWFUL. “Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But such as keep the law contend with them.” (v.4). They are law-abiding, both in obedience to principles taught in God’s word and in respect to authorities God has established to govern us.

3.  BLAMELESS. “Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, He himself will fall into his own pit; But the blameless will inherit good.” (v.10). We won’t be sinless until we reach heaven, but we can sin less. 

4.  REPENTANT. “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” (v.13). When the holy falter, they do not cover up, but confess up!

5.  REVERENT. “Happy is the man who is always reverent, But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” (v.14). This inner disposition toward God sets the outward direction in godliness.

6. FAITHFUL.  “A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.” (v.20). The holy are faithful in pursuing the things of eternity rather than running after the things of earth.

7.  BELIEVING.  “He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered.” (v.25). This is the basis for holiness: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb.11:6).  

Would people describe me this way?  What about you?  This is a great goal for this year. Walk on the highway of holiness and you will experience the happiness it brings—a “joy inexpressible and full of glory,” (1 Pet.1:8).

STEPS OF SORROW ON THE HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN

God is aware of the most intimate details of our lives.  He sees the hidden hurts, and feels our deepest sorrow. 

None of our steps are obscured from Him--He counts everyone.  Sometimes those steps take us where we would not wish to go--into deep valleys of grief.  Our earthly wanderings may find us in an unemployment line, a homeless shelter, a hospital room, a divorce court, or a funeral home, for instance.  We are reminded that this world is not home.  We are pilgrims passing through. 

Yet, it is good to recall that God counts every step, and He knows the final one which will bring us to our true home above.  When tears wet our pillow in dark nights, and none other sees, it is clearly observed by God--and He cares!  The psalmist says that He puts those tears in a bottle and documents each sorrow. 

Earth's heartaches are invested in heaven, where they draw interest and will pay great dividends in eternal joys.  Paul puts it like this, "For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory." (2 Cor.4:17 HCSB)  All of earth's hurts, will be washed away by eternity's happiness.  What seems to be an enduring, crushing burden will be seen as momentary and light compared to what God has for us!

ESSENTIALS FOR ENJOYING LIFE

Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,

Whose hope is in the LORD his God….  (Psalm 146:5)

There is pleasure in sin—that makes it tempting!  Scripture acknowledges this.  It is just that the short-lived pleasures are not worth the long-term price.  The Devil tries to convince us that living for Jesus is the most boring life imaginable.  We are told that God is a Cosmic Killjoy and Jesus came to make our life miserable.  Heaven is one monotonous church service going on forever.  The truth is Jesus said, “I have come that [you] may have life, and that…more abundantly.” (John 10:10)  Admittedly, there is a cost to following Christ, but it is an investment with dividends that are out of this world!  Eternal life starts at salvation and is experienced here as well as hereafter!  It is quality of life, not just quantity of time.  The Psalmist shows the three essentials for enjoying life.

The first essential is HAPPINESS, “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help….  The source of true happiness is “the God of Jacob….”  Do you remember the story of the Prodigal Son?  That young man had a party for a while—squandering his inheritance in debauchery—but when the money ran out, so did his friends and lovers—and he found himself in a pigpen.  It was when he came back to his father that he found forgiveness, love, and a party to surpass all parties!  Thus, when the sinner comes to God, surrendering his or her will to His will that true happiness is found.  This is true, not only for those who have yet to come to Christ in salvation, but for God’s children who stray from His path.  They are the most miserable sinners—for they know there is a better life, and a loving Father chastens them, while the Holy Spirit convicts them. 

The second essential is HELP, “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help….  These words suggest human inadequacy.  The Holy Spirit has chosen to mention Jacob here.  Jacob is the poster child of human inadequacy striving for sufficiency.  He continually tried taking matters into his own hands.  The result was a big mess leading to bigger messes!  Jacob always had a scheme up his sleeve.  His motto was, “God helps those who help themselves.”  That is unbiblical—and a recipe for disaster!  Instead, what we need is to acknowledge our human inadequacy and cry out for heavenly intervention.  In the words of the Beatles, “Help!  I need somebody.  Help!  Not just anybody. … Won’t you please, please help me?”  That Somebody is God!  There came the darkest night of Jacob’s life, where he experienced the final defeat as he wrestled with God.  In desperation, clinging to the Lord, his life was transformed.  God helps the helpless.

The third essential is HOPE, “Whose hope is in the LORD his God….”  We can live without many things, but we cannot live without hope.  Apart from God, we are hopeless (Eph.2:12), but in Christ we can be born again “to a living hope” (1 Pet.1:3).  In the new birth, all things become new—our perspective on this life and the prospects of the life to come are glorious and increasingly so!  Paul wrote in Col.1:27 that it is, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”  Even in the storms of life we do not sink for, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…” (Heb.6:19).  Enjoy!